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Collecting Child Support in California or out of state

When A Child Support case is opened, Child Support services include obtaining child support and medical support orders, establishing paternity, and collecting support payments- NOT divorce, custody or visitation.

Basic child support is calculated by a formula and does not include child care, medical bills unpaid by insurance, travel costs for visitation, education or other special needs. Additional child support for child care costs and uninsured health care costs may be ordered. Additional child support for travel costs for visitations and education or other special needs may also be ordered.

To obtain or enforce a child support order, the local child support agency or your attorney must locate the other parent. Parties seeking child support can help by providing any information about the other parent's whereabouts, income and assets. The law requires the local agency to act on any new information regarding the whereabouts of the other parent within 75 days after receiving it to locate the other parent.

Parent's owing support may be found in the Employment Deveolpment Department's New Employee Registry. California employers must report the names, addresses and social security numbers of all new employees.

When a parent owing support moves out of state, other states and many foreign countries or tribunals have an agency to enforce child support orders. Although laws differ from state to state, all child support agencies work with each other to collect current and past due child support and locating parents and their assets. Federal Law requires every state to enact the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act so states can work together to establish and enforce child support orders.

Unless the court approves a different payment method, child support payments must be witheld from the parents paycheck. A wage withholding order is sent to the other parent's employer within 15 days after the employer is located. In most cases, the employer must start withholding no later than 10 days after receiving the wage assignment. The wage withholding remains in effect as long as the parent remains employed.

The steps involved in collecting and receiving child support are as follows:

1. The court issues a child support order and wage withholding order.
2. The Child Support agency serves the wage withholding order on the other parent's employer.
3. The employer deducts the child support payment and sends the payment to the State Disbursement     Unit (SDU).
4. The SDU processes and sends the child support payment within two business days.
5. Child support payments can be received by: Direct deposit, electronic payment card, check

If a parent owing child support moves out of state, laws known as the Full Faith and Credit for Child Support Orders Act and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act may prevent a state from changing another state's court order. If the child lives here and an order is issued in California, only a California court can change it in most cases. Child support can be enforced anywhere in the United States. Also, if you have custody and move away, your child support case can be transferred to your new county or state.

If you have a child support case and are looking for Professional legal representation by a 20 year Family Law Attorney, call the law offices of Richard K. Isles at (951) 352-8700 for a consultation.

This is the link to  California's child support self service information system designed  for you:

Customer Connect - California's child support self service site

 


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